Yorkton to Saskatoon via a famous composer's town

This is a picture of the Lanigan SPC facility.


In the small town of Mozart the streets are named for famous composers and the signs are decorated with music notes, an original and amusing touch.




The Mozart Credit Union (where he keeps his royalties)




And the CO-OP, where the socialist doubtless purchased his booze and tobacco.



And since you've all been asking (well really no one has) a picture of the Yorkton Tim Hortons.

I left Yorkton around 8:00 Sunday morning. The weather was nice, some clouds but much sunshine breaking through between the cloud cover. Even if it was Sunday there was some roawork, paving along a 5 kilometre section which involved one unintended stop. While the posted speed limit is 100 kph, the traffic, which was quite light, actually moved along about 10 km faster, a very good pace. I saw a moose in a field along the highway; and in the prairies when you see a moose in a field along the highway you actually get to see it for a long time, even if it's galloping at full moose speed towards a stand of trees way off in the distance.

At some point I noticed on the roadmap which I store in the pocket provided for it on the tank case that I would soon be arriving at the turnoff for the town of Mozart. I decided to make the short detour to visit it. There are four streets in Mozart, each one named for a famous composer by the wife of farmer Lund in 1909 who had been given this honour by the CPR engineers who stayed on their farm when the railway wwas being put through this part of the prairies. (This information is from some research Jane did after I told her I had seen the Mozart CO-OP and the combined Mozart Credit Union and Post Office.

As one approaches Saskatoon, from Lanigan on one sees a number of Saskatchewan Potash Corporation Operations. They are unmistakable, the mine headframes and the huge stockpiles of potash stick out from the otherwise flat landscape. What was ever clearer on this part of the trip is the extent to which the long period of rain in this part of the country had had an effect on farmers. Many fields have not been seeded and others are covered with ponds of standing water, the ground being saturated and there having not been enough sunshine for it to evaporate.

I stopped for a ham and eggs beakfast/lunch at a small family restaurant and while I was there a group of bikers arrived, all dressed in their leathers.

I arrived at our friends Steven and Alma at about 4:00 and was welcomed by a host of Weibe's, Alma's family. As it turns out a niece was moving yesterday and a number of aunts, uncles, nephews and cousins had helped them do so. They, their children and others (some 35 in all) had been invited to come over for a bbq of ribs and burgers with all the fixins at Syeven and Alma's. It was a fun evening. A number of folks wanted to hear all about my trip so far and my plans for the rest of it.

Today is a down day in Saskatoon and I'm intending on going to visit the riverfront redevelopment,one of the strategic infrastructure projects with which I was involved while at Infrastructure Canada.

There would be more to write, but my two fingers are getting tired.

So far this trip has exceeded my expectations. It is truly an amazing way to see this great country. I often think how blessed we aree to live in such a great place where we can enjoy such diversity and such beauty. Every turn of the road of the road, over every crest there is something to admire, and often the view simply takes your breath away.

I'm looking forward to Jane joining me in Calgary so that we can share the ride through the Rockies. I know it's going to be impressive.

More later